Shroud of the Dark Beyond
by Zaris-Trasz
Summary: Many of the Inquisitors have fallen, and Twelfth Sister will do much to avoid that fate. When a mysterious figure offers her power beyond her dreams, she accepts after a brief demonstration. As the Heartless appear across the galaxy, it is up to the Ghost Crew - and their two new armoured, Keyblade-wielding allies - to see to it that Darkness is repelled, once and for all.


The night was silent. There were no distractions as Twelfth Sister closed her eyes, taking in all the feelings of pain, of suffering, of hate, of rage, and of her own frustration. The Dark Side was strong throughout Fortress Inquisitorious. She could feel these emotions as if they were physical objects, digging into her mind like a blade. She devoured them as if they were fuel for the dark fire within her.

If the emotions of pain and suffering were the tinder, then her own frustration would be the spark that set the fire. Much of her order, of the Inquisitors, had been destroyed. Even the strongest among them, such as the Grand Inquisitor himself, had already fallen. Weakness devoured the strong, as rot would devour a festering corpse over time.

Despite this, she still survived. She endured and hardships, both of the past and the present. She had cut the ties to her weakness - the chains that bound her to her worthless, past life - and even came close to ending her wayward apprentice from that time. An'carr no longer meant anything to her, and she welcomed the dark embrace of her hate. It made her stronger than any who came before.

So, why? Why was she being held back from her potential? Twelfth Sister growled as she concentrated on the point of her frustration. She had done everything they asked; she had hunted and betrayed her own brothers and sisters in arms. She had slaughtered Jedi and insurgents alike. She had brought relics of power to her masters. So, why? Why were they holding her back?

Did she simply trade one life of servitude for another? She was promised a chance for greatness, but was this new master little different than the pathetic Jedi she turned against? She despised that thought more than anything else. To still be bound by her chains would be a fate worse than death, but by rebelling, she would simply be met by death and not given the chance to grow. She couldn't be stuck though; she wouldn't accept it!

As she seethed on her anger, Twelfth Sister failed to not the figure approach her chamber. She failed to notice as a man in a hooded, black coat silently entered. He leaned back against the wall of the chamber, crossing his arms as he chuckled quietly. The sound shook the Inquisitor from her thoughts. In a single motion, she telekinetically pulled her Lightsaber to her grasp and whipped around to face the intruder - crimson blades extending to mere inches from his throat.

"Wow, seems I startled you, huh?" the figure said with a laugh. She watched him carefully, as a hawk may eye its prey, but surprisingly he barely reacted. He made no motion to draw a hidden vibroblade or blaster.

With a quiet growl, she observed the intruder. She should kill him for intruding in the personal chambers of a member of the Inquisitorious. If this was a trooper, such 'jokes' would not be tolerated. And if this was an assassin, all the better to be rid of bad rubbish. Despite the thought, she made no move to end the man's life. "Who are you?"

Much to her irritation, the man just chuckled. "Oh, let's just say I'm someone who is well acquainted with the way of the world. I'm a philosopher who knows all too well the balance of Light and Dark, as I am an artist who knows just how to shape fate with just the right push." Before she could interject with her next demand, the man's tone shifted with amused to serious. "And, let's just say I know a thing or two about what the frustration of being held back can do. People with potential should grasp for what is nearly at hand, wouldn't you agree?"

Twelfth Sister couldn't keep the snarl from escaping her lips. She had never spoken her thoughts aloud, nor was there any way he could possibly know of her frustration. One would have to be a mind reader to know such a thing. Such power was not a common ability by any means. Unless: philosopher, balance, mindreading, infiltrating such a facility without alerting the guards... With a thrust forward, she impaled the crimson blade of her Lightsaber through the figure's throat. "Jedi wretch."

Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the man flicker slightly. It was almost like a hologram, but there was no droid or projector around that could cause such a thing. In the blink of an eye, the figure appeared again no more than a step away from where his corpse should have fallen. This time, his amused tone was back again as he laughed. "Uh, uh, uh! Nope, I'm not one of those monks. Never have been, and it's not quite my style! I'm someone who _much_ prefers a good show to dealing with all those nasty politics.

"No, no, no." His voice grew ever louder as he continued speaking in such a mirthful tone. The Inquisitor couldn't help but think him a madman. "What Jedi would ever even consider learning about something as 'pesky' as the Darkness? They'd just drone on and on about 'how dangerous it is,' 'how corrupting it can be', and all the rest of that nonsense. But, you know? I think you know the truth, don't you?"

As quickly as the mirth grew, it faded away once again. The man stopped pacing as he turned to regard the wary Inquisitor, clasping his hands behind his back; his tone growing serious. "Yes, it's true. The Darkness can be dangerous, and it can corrupt. But, it's life. You'll find Light and Dark in everything - even you, even me. It's primordial, but in the end, it just is. It's no more wrong than the Light, and when it's properly controlled, it can do wonders. It can bring an end to war, to create an order where the strong won't be tossed to the side and forgotten like a broken weapon."

Despite her senses, despite her initial thought, and despite all logic, Twelfth Sister deactivated her Lightsaber. Her gaze remained fixed on the man, as did her grip on the weapon not waver, but she couldn't deny the words echoed some of her own thoughts. Was he simply reading her mind, telling her what she wanted to hear? It was certainly possible, and even likely. Yet, she still wanted to hear more. "What are you playing at? Who are you?"

Some of his mirth returned in the shape of mock displeasure and teasing interest. "_Whaaat?_ Didn't I tell you already? I'm someone who knows the state of the World; what else matters, really? But, it's not hard to sense your displeasure. I figured I'd give you a little boost to push you along to your goals. You might just destroy the world, or - who knows? - you might even save it! But, you only seem to know one form of the Darkness. To get a better understanding, don't you want to learn more?"

Before she could snap a retort back to echo her growing frustration, the man in black snapped his fingers suddenly. Pure Darkness rose from the ground as it solidified, its shape beginning to resemble that of a human's. As its lithe body grew, twin antennas sprouted from the base of its head. Faint blue markings dotted its otherwise pure black form as two pinpricks of yellow grew where eyes should have been. To some degree, it resembled the silhouette of a crouched, clawed Twi'lek with thin lekku.

"This creature; it is Darkness. It's the Darkness of someone's Heart given shape. They are a bit on the primitive side, but you know what? These creatures, the Heartless; if you give them _juuust_ the right push, they can be awfully useful! But, you gotta keep a strong Heart when dealing with them, or like any caged beast, they might snap. _Liiikeee_…" He broke off as the door to the Inquisitor's chambers slid open.

A Purge Trooper stood there, blaster trained on the figure in the black coat. Before the armoured trooper or the Inquisitor could utter a single word or fire a single shot, the dubbed Heartless lept for the unfortunate man. A single, clawed strike tore through the armour with ease - the trooper falling before he knew what happened. As the body hit the floor, some sort of dark energy began to grow. It swiftly overtook the corpse, but as quickly as it grew, it faded, leaving no body behind. All that was left was a single, light-red sphere of energy.

"...this," the man finished his earlier sentence with a quiet chuckle. "With just the right push, they grow. And grow. Darkness is in every living being, and when the Darkness of the Heart also grows after the Heart is torn from its shell? Well, let's just say it becomes yet another problem for your enemies!"

Almost as if on cue, the floating sphere of energy started to darken with similar, black energy to before. As the Darkness faded, so too did the Heart. A moment later, a second Heartless grew from the space where the Heart once resided. Twelfth Sister's eyes widened as she watched. This power; it was unlike anything she had ever seen before, during her days with the Jedi and with the Empire. She had never even seen Lord Vader wield such a gift. If this figure was offering to teach her how to control this power… Oh, what she could do!

She didn't trust him, of course. Trust was something she had abandoned long ago. She didn't doubt he wanted something from this offer, but so long as their goals aligned, what harm was there in working towards a similar goal? Perhaps this was the start of a new beginning. Perhaps her ascension to power was not as far off as she feared. Her chains would finally be broken, and she would grow, at long last. Turning her gaze back to the figure in black, she smiled. It was time to begin.


End file.
